The foundation
Hartmut and Ilse Schneider Foundation for Children, Switzerland with registered office in Zurich was set up in 2010. The founder, Mrs Ilse Schneider, established the Foundation in order to provide impecunious children in Asia, namely in Thailand, with support and help to self-help. In particular, the Foundation intends to foster orphaned, handicapped, abused, exploited, homeless and abandoned street children and children from deprived backgrounds.
In order to fulfill this purpose, the Foundation supports existing local projects and organisations which are pursuing the same goals. In particular, Hartmut and Ilse Schneider Foundation for Children, Switzerland is working with its Thai partner foundation, the Hartmut and Ilse Schneider Foundation for Children, Thailand.
The foundation Board members
Mrs. Tina Wüstemann, attorney-at-law and partner of the law firm Bär & Karrer AG is the president of the foundation board. Mrs. Esther Kaufmann, foundation board member, is a resident in Thailand and therefore fully familiar with the local conditions. She particularly advises the foundation board in connection with the selection of grant opportunities and projects. Mrs. Kaufmann also officiates as a foundation board member of the Thai Hartmut and Ilse Schneider Foundation for Children, thereby ensuring a smooth cooperation between the two partner foundations. Mr. Dirk Kolvenbach, a German attorney-at-law, is the third member of the foundation board.
Tina Wüstemann is a partner at the international law firm Bär & Karrer AG, where she heads the private client department. Besides private clients, Tina Wüstemann advises charitable organizations and she is a member of the board of several international charities.
Esther Kaufmann lives in Thailand since 1990. Since 1991 she is taking care of German-speaking prisoners in Thai prisons. In 2003 she was honored with the “Order of Merit” of Germany for her work with the Prisoners. Since 2006 she is a board member of the Hartmut and Ilse Schneider Foundation for Children in Thailand.
Dirk Kolvenbach is a partner of the German law firm Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek working in Düsseldorf and Zurich. He advises clients in company succession matters. Furthermore, Dirk Kolvenbach is working for charitable organizations and is a board member of several charities.
background
Hartmut Wilhelm Schneider was born in 1930 in Dauber, a former place in East Prussian. Until incursion of war, Hartmut had a happy childhood with his five brothers and sisters. In October 1944 Soviet troops advanced to East Prussia and the family had to flee westwards without their father. Finding the western route blocked by foreign troops, the family headed northwards. After a laborious journey, the family managed to board a ship bound to Denmark. In a camp on Jutland the family found refuge. Four years later the family moved to Hamburg. Hartmut completed commercial education and graduated from high school. During this time he got to know Ilse Berger, who was two years younger than him. She graduated at the same time - and became the love of his life.
After completing his studies, Hartmut received an offer which he could not reject. A Hanseatic trading company offered him to manage its office in Thailand. The 23-year-old Hartmut accepted and in 1953 he moved to Bangkok. Six months later Ilse followed and they married.
The young man was aware that Thailand is a land of opportunity and he developed a plan to manufacture aluminium tubes. With the support of business partners he founded Alucon Manufacturing Company in 1961. The business was running well and Alucon started exporting in 1969. In 1989 Alucon became a public listed company and entered into a partnership with the Japanese Takeuchi Press Industries. Hartmut Schneider's visions turned into a sustainable business. Over all these years, Ilse Schneider was an active partner of her husband.
Hartmut and Ilse Schneider had a profound relation to Thailand. Hartmut helped the "Siam Society" to preserve its cultural heritage and he even travelled to remote areas. Having no offspring of his own, he was very fond of children and wanted to change the fact that children must live in misery. In 2004, Hartmut was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Feeling helpless, Ilse decided to do something and to help the society with lasting effect.
In 2012 Ilse died unexpectedly and two years later Hartmut followed her. Both live on in the Hartmut and Ilse Schneider Foundation for Children. Ongoing projects benefit children and teenagers in Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos - as it was Ilse Schneider's wish during her own lifetime.
The Foundation capital is managed in accordance with the provisions of the Foundation Deed, i.e. the assets are managed according to recognized accounting standards, risks are minimized and speculative transactions are avoided, however, the Foundation capital does not need to be invested in a gilt-edged manner.
The foundation board has mandated BK-Services AG, Zurich with the Foundation's accounting. The annual financial statements are audited by Intercontrol AG, Zurich.
Hartmut and Ilse Schneider Foundation for Children, Switzerland is under the supervision of the Foundation Supervisory Authority of the Federal Department of Home Affairs.